India’s dominant display on Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley brought back golden memories for cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who both foresee more centuries in store after the visitors posted a formidable 359/3 against England. The Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy couldn’t have had a better opening act, with Shubman Gill (127*), Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), and Rishabh Pant (65*) leading the charge.
Tendulkar, watching the fireworks from afar, was reminded of India’s famous win at Headingley in 2002, where he himself scored a masterful 193, alongside hundreds from Rahul Dravid and Ganguly. That historic partnership laid the foundation for a rare Indian win on English soil, and Tendulkar felt a similar script might be unfolding again.
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Taking to X, Sachin Tendulkar wrote, “A solid foundation laid by @klrahul and @ybj_19 enabled India to have a good day. Congratulations to Yashasvi and @ShubmanGill for their brilliant centuries. @RishabhPant17’s contribution was equally important for the team. India’s batting today reminded me of the Headingley Test in 2002. Today, Yashasvi and Shubman have done their part. Who will be the third centurion this time?”
Hi Champ .. this time it could be 4 .. on this good surface .. pant and may be karun .. the surface on day 1 in 2002 .. was a bit different then this ..
— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 20, 2025
Sourav Ganguly, quick to join the conversation, felt the current pitch was even more batting-friendly than in their era and predicted India could go beyond three centurions. “Hi, Champ… this time it could be 4… on this good surface… Pant and maybe Karun… the surface on Day 1 in 2002 was a bit different than this,” he posted. Tendulkar responded with a fingers-crossed emoji, keeping hopes high.
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England captain Ben Stokes’ decision to bowl first backfired as the pitch eased out quickly. Rahul and Jaiswal gave India a strong start with a 91-run opening stand. Though Rahul and debutant Sai Sudharsan fell just before lunch, Jaiswal and Gill steadied the ship with a 129-run stand. After Jaiswal’s dismissal, Pant took charge, launching a counterattack with Gill. Their unbeaten 138-run partnership put India firmly in command heading into Day 2.
